Move of the Week: Charlie Mayfield leaves impressive legacy at JLP

Yes, John Lewis had a wobble recently with profits depressed, not helped by its “never knowingly undersold” promise, which has eaten into margins. But when you compare the state of John Lewis to department store rivals House of Fraser and Debenhams, it can only reflect positively on the job Mayfield and his executive team have done in building it into a leading omnichannel business over the past decade.

Waitrose, meanwhile, has managed to steadily increase its market share despite severe economic headwinds and fierce competition in the grocery market.

“Now might be a good time to bring in an outsider, perhaps even with an international or non-retail background”

What happens next will be interesting. JLP has said the process for selecting Mayfield’s successor has been extensively modernised and the search will include external candidates.

Historically, the role of JLP chair has been very different to that of a Plc with incumbents being much more high profile, hands on and central to setting the strategic direction of the organisation.

They have also been steeped in JLP tradition and culture. Mayfield joined in 2000 as head of business development and served as managing director of John Lewis before becoming chair of the partnership.

Unsurprisingly, names such as current John Lewis managing director Paula Nickolds and Waitrose boss Rob Collins are being suggested as likely successors. Both are worthy candidates, but the long timetable set in Mayfield’s announcement gives the nominations committee plenty of time to search the wider market too.

Challenging voices

This could be the right time for an external hire. Regardless of what JLP has achieved under Mayfield, the challenges it will face going forward are significant, amid seismic structural changes within the retail sector. Now might be a good period to bring in an outsider, perhaps even with an international or non-retail background, to look at the organisation with a fresh pair of eyes, uncoloured by a long-term association with its cherished brands.

Doing things the John Lewis ‘way’ has been successful for a long time, but with disruptors such as Amazon increasingly setting the rules of consumer engagement in the retail sector, it is important JLP invites challenging voices into the organisation.

It might also be the time to make this more of a traditional chair’s role, acting as a mentor and sounding board for the executive team while remaining somewhat detached from day-to-day decision making.

As for Mayfield, with his retail experience and extensive contacts book, what he does next is up to him. I would envisage him taking on a plurality of positions including charity and non-executive roles. And with JLP’s history of acting as an incubator for start-ups, I can see Mayfield being in high demand as a mentor and investor in the disruptors of the future.